


The Crumple Zone is My Heart

by Galadriel1010



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M, Not Actually Unrequited Love, werewolf!alec
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-10
Updated: 2018-09-09
Packaged: 2018-12-13 18:42:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11766015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Galadriel1010/pseuds/Galadriel1010
Summary: Alec Lightwood has been hiding from the Clave since he became a werewolf. Now his two worlds are colliding, and threatening to crush him between them.AU of the first few episodes.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Taupefox59](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Taupefox59/gifts).



> I honestly don't know where this idea came from, but I hope someone else enjoys it as much as I have been doing. Follow me on Twitter at @LexyNeedham or on Tumblr as Fiwen1010. And if anyone wants to volunteer to alpha/beta the monster this could become, please do. I need writing companions.

Alec laughed and threw his shirt at Maureen, shrugging his leather jacket on over the tight white undershirt whilst she pretended to swoon. Next to him, Clary ducked under his arm and tucked herself against his side, tugging on his jacket impatiently. "Alec," she whined. "Come on. You can't tease amazing presents for a month and then keep me waiting. It's my birthday."

"Well, that's kind of the point," he teased, tapping her on the nose with a grin. "But…" He pushed her away gently and reached into his bag again for the wrapped box. "If you insist…"

Her eyes shone as she ripped off the paper, and then she lifted her head to glare at him as she revealed even more wrapping paper. "Alec. Oh my god, how bored were you?"

He shrugged and leaned against the van whilst she carried on ripping away layers. "Magnus has been working a lot recently, and I've been on the wrong shifts to see him. Besides, one layer a day for a month."

"You little shit," she laughed, and then she gave a squeal that showed she'd got down to the box. "Alec Lytton, if this is a recycled Dr Martens box, you're banished from my life forever." He carried on smiling as she tugged the box free and flipped the lid open, and then screamed again. "Oh my god, Alec, they're perfect! I've not seen this design before. Are they new season?"

"They're custom," he admitted, and she leapt up to hug him tightly again. "You like them?"

"Like them? I love them." She turned back to the box and held the boots up to the light, where the silver Runes caught the pink from Pandemonium's sign and glinted out from the black. "What are these symbols? They're like on this paperweight Mom gave me."

He looked up at that and frowned. "Paperweight?"

"This thing," she said, pulling a stele out of her pocket and holding it next to the boots to compare. "See, these two are the same. What are they?"

"Your mom didn't tell you?" His shoulders dropped and he shook his head. "That's her story to tell. But they have a meaning." He took one of the boots from her and turned it in his hands, running his thumb over the Runes. "This one is for protection, and this one is for speed." He looked up and shrugged. "I… used to have a lot of friends with tattoos like this."

She laughed. "Why would my mom have a paperweight with tattoos on it? Or are they in some language?"

Alec shrugged and started backing away. "Your mom is a mystery to all of us. And I'm not a detective yet, so…" He laughed when Clary glared at him, holding his hands up defensively. "You get your new boots on whilst I go and find my very hot boyfriend, and I'll be out by the time you've finished painting the van. Ready for mocktails and ice cream, yeah?"

"And then you'll explain?"

"Probably not," he admitted with a grin. "Gotta go. Hot boyfriend, remember? I'll be five minutes… maybe thirty."

"Yeah, and when do we get to meet him?" Maureen demanded. "Stop hogging all the cute ones."

He laughed again and turned to jog into the club, the smile slipping slightly once he was out of sight. It was already busy in there, long before peak time, and the strobe lighting danced across his skin in time with the heady, heavy beat of the music. People brushed against him comfortably, some with smiles and a gentle push in the right direction, most barely paying him any attention. He slid between dancing groups and couples, squeezed a friend on the shoulder, and finally reached Magnus where he was sitting in state with a gorgeous seelie one one side and a stunning vampire on the other, and plenty of others draped around them. They stared at each other across the low table and Alec felt a smirk building when Magnus's eyes flickered down his body. "Are you going to just admire me from a distance, or do I get a hello?"

Magnus pushed himself to his feet, leaving his acolytes to settle down and look mildly put-out whilst he stepped onto the coffee table and over it. Before he had both feet on the floor again, Alec's hands were gripping his lapels and pulling him close and off balance, so that Magnus stumbled against his chest as their lips crashed together. Warm hands cupped his neck, and he felt Magnus smile against his lips. "I missed you," he whispered, despite every plan to keep the words in. "Can't wait to be back on nights."

"You're insatiable," Magnus laughed, pulling back to look at him. Smoky make-up only served to highlight the laughter in his eyes. Necklaces draped down over his chest, exposed underneath an unbuttoned jacket and shirt, and his rings were cold where they rested against Alec's neck, causing him to shiver at more than the physical sensations. "Are you staying?"

Alec shook his head and reached up to hold onto Magnus's wrist. "Clary's birthday. I promised her I'd take her for mocktails, remember?" He leaned in and kissed Magnus's cheek, so he could whisper, "Jocelyn hasn't told her. She has a Stele and thinks it's a paperweight."

He laughed, but the lines around his eyes tightened with familiar frustration. "She's going to be the death of me."

"I hope not," he murmured, pulling Magnus's hand away enough to kiss it. "I'll come over when we're done, though? Should be back long before closing."

"I suppose I'll have to be patient. Even if you've already got rid of the uniform. Shame," Magnus teased. "You know how I like it."

He chuckled and wrapped his arms around Magnus's waist. "It's only in the van. I'll have it with me."

"Oh good. You can put it back on, so I can peel it off again." He tugged at the undershirt. "Get rid of this first, though."

"Bossy tonight." Alec kissed him again and past him to the group on the sofa. "I wasn't interrupting, was I?"

"Nothing that isn't better for the interruption." Magnus took his hand and pulled him towards the sofa. "Can you stay for a little while?"

"Five more minutes," Alec said, knowing it would be at least fifteen as he sank onto the sofa and settled down as Magnus's new throne.


	2. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I know it's been a year since I updated, but I can explain!  
> Dedicated to TaupeFox59, who has been very distracting for the last 12 months.

Alec was lost in the press of their lips together, Magnus's hand cradling his neck and holding him in exactly the right position and fingertips teasing through his hair, the other hand now planted firmly on the small of his back under his T shirt. His leather jacket had been discarded over the back of the sofa too long ago, and his own hands were clinging on desperately, one wrapped around Magnus's impressive biceps, the other clutching at the back of his shirt and pressing, pushing him close against Alec. He made a low noise in his throat, too quiet to be heard under the pounding bass, but even he could feel the vibrations against Magnus's hand. He was rewarded with a smug chuckle, and Magnus pulling back to look at him. Warmth curled through him, and his white-knuckled grip on Magnus's shirt eased into something gentler, his thumb rubbing in circles over the fabric between his shirt and his jacket. His eyes fluttered closed as he leaned in again and pressed a soft kiss to the corner of Magnus's lips, rewarded by the feeling of them curving up into a smile.

"You're too much," he murmured against Magnus's cheek.

"Too much?"

He sighed and smiled. "Everything." Magnus didn't say anything, so he pulled back and cupped his face. "To me, you are everything."

Magnus gave him a confused smile. "Why is that too much?"

"Because I'm late."

"Ah." Magnus laughed and brushed his cheek with a thumb. "Keeping the lovely Clary waiting?"

"Yeah. I should really go," he admitted in a whisper. "I don't want to, but I should."

"Go on. This might be her last night of…" He trailed off, eyes fixed on something behind Alec. "You should go," he said abruptly. "I'll see you later."

Alec let his hands drop and didn't bother trying to hide his confusion, since Magnus was walking away without a backwards glance. "I'll probably be home before you," he muttered. "Again." The crowds parted for Magnus in ways they wouldn't for anyone else, and through a gap in the dancers he spotted familiar flame red hair. Cursing under his breath, he grabbed his jacket and jumped to his feet to go after Clary before anyone else spotted her.

# # #

He cut through by the bar, aiming to head her off before she got there, but when he got there there was no sight of her. Frustrated, he ran a hand through his hair and tugged his jacket on quickly, even though it was sweltering hot in Pandemonium already. It clung to his arms as he pushed his way back through, towards the private rooms at the back. No one paid him any attention, as usual, as he pulled the first curtain aside and ducked through.

And then Clary slipped from his mind completely, because there, on the stage, was Izzy. Radiant with confidence, dancing like she belonged there, like the last three years hadn't happened. And Jace, all cocky swagger and charm like Alec had fallen so hard for all those years ago. And… Aline? He swallowed hard and pressed back into the shadows, fingers twitching against his thighs whilst something he'd tried so hard to bury ached. Izzy was the centre of attention, like always, and Jace was taking the lead with their suspect - one of a group of Ravenor demons - and Aline watched the exit. They hadn't even noticed him. He smiled, despite the pain, as the demon turned to face Jace down and, over the music, he heard Jace murmur something about their odds. 

"Look out!" Clary screamed, and Alec finally remembered what he was doing there as she pushed the demon out of the way of Jace's threat. What had been almost a tableau sprang into motion at that. Jace shoved Clary out of the way, so hard she slid across the floor, and took care of his demon. The other demons moved into action too, and Izzy's whip wrapped around one, tugging him onto her blade, whilst Aline drove her staff through two others in quick succession.

Jace turned quickly to help Clary up, but she was already moving, on her feet with her back against the wall, fists clenched in front of her. A demon who tried to grab her got a fist to the face and an elbow to the stomach, and Jace nearly got a broken nose when he swept in to save the day by driving his Seraph Blade deep into it. Alec's breath caught in his throat when he saw Izzy trapped by three of the demons, and he burst from his shadow, twisting and throwing one of her assailants to the floor and kicking a second hard, straight onto Jace's blade. 

They stared at each other for a few seconds, caught in the years between them. Alec's heart was beating so hard he couldn't even hear the music, just the thrum of blood and his own panicked breaths. Some part of him that would always be a soldier was on guard though, and when Jace yelled his name and threw his Seraph Blade to him, he caught it by instinct and turned to drive it through the chest of a demon that had got too close for comfort. The blade dulled in his hand, though, and the demon swiped him away with enough strength to send him staggering into the pillar he'd hidden behind. It strode towards him again, talons outstretched, and Alec backed up enough to kick it hard in the chest. It burst into flame a moment later when Aline drove her staff through its neck. Jace yelled his name, and Alec turned to throw the blade back to him, just in time for him to take out two demons with a single stroke.

The fight was over within another few seconds, leaving no trace that the demons had ever been there. The music blared on above, still barely audible over the blood rushing in his ears as Jace and Izzy turned back to him. He staggered away, gaze flitting from one familiar face to another, looking for hope and not finding it.

Suspicion.

Distrust.

Fear.

He bit down on curses, backing away from them. They made no move towards him, and before he could decide if that was a good thing or a bad thing he'd reached the curtain and could duck out into the crowded bar and push his way through, losing himself in the throng. He cast around, searching for Magnus, but the crowds were too busy and packed for him to find anyone. Chest heaving, he pushed onwards, towards the side exit, and burst out into the fresh air. A familiar flash of colour caught his eye, and, again, he remembered Clary. She'd seen everything, and of course Jocelyn still hadn't told her anything. He ran his hand through his hair again, took one last desperate look at the door, and ran for the next cab.

# # #

People ignored him as he ducked down the side streets and used the bins behind a kebab shop to propel himself up onto the fire escapes. From there it was a clear run across the roofs and over an alley to the last street before Jocelyn's store and their apartment. He crouched at the edge to watch for pursuit behind him, and wracked his memory to get a clue about what they’d do. Jace was hot-headed, and if he was going to come after them he’d be following Alec onto the roof already. Izzy, though, was the studious one - she’d want to go back to the Institute and put the research in first, build up a picture until his life was stripped bare and there was nowhere to hide. Which left Aline as the deciding vote and a complete unknown.

He tried Clary’s mobile again, and she rejected it immediately. Jocelyn ignored him completely, Luke rejected it, and both Dot and Magnus’s phones were engaged. He cursed all of them under his breath and dropped onto the fire escape, then hurried down and across the street. A young couple glared at him as he barrelled into them because he was looking over his shoulder for pursuit, so he muttered an apology and dove down the alley into the back yard and hauled himself up yet another fire escape, his fingers running automatically over the protective Runes.

The door was unlocked so he slipped through and locked it behind him, slamming the bolt home with more force than necessary. From the living room he could hear Clary, voice getting higher and louder as she paced and told Jocelyn what little she knew. Alec rounded the corner and cursed, again, as she wheeled on him, one hand outstretched in a warning. He backed up and ran his hands through his hair, eyes flicking between them.

“Don’t,” Clary snapped. “Don’t come any closer. What are you?”

“Alec,” Jocelyn said, stepping forwards and resting a hand on Clary’s shoulder. “What happened?”

He dragged his gaze away from her and met Clary’s eyes. “”I’m a werewolf.” She opened her mouth and he shook his head. “All those stories I told you? They’re true. Your mom through it would be a great idea to keep that secret from you until the last possible moment, but she missed it. Sorry, Jocelyn,” he added. “We don’t have time for breaking it to her gently any more.”

“Mom? This isn’t true, right?” Clary dragged herself away from Jocelyn and stared at her. “This has got to be some kind of… sick joke.”

Jocelyn sighed, settling on the sofa, and pulled a Stele out of nowhere to unglamour her Angelic Power Rune. “The tattoos you saw on the boy... Did they look like this?”

She shook her head and backed away from them both. “What’s going on? Those are… oh my god, Alec. The boots… The Stele, him. And those drawings you did!”

“Who was he?” Jocelyn demanded.

“Shadowhunters from the New York Institute,” he explained, leaving out almost everything important. “Clary stumbled into the middle of a mission and nearly got herself killed by Ravenor Demons.” Jocelyn went pale and he hurried to reassure her. “She was fine. She can handle herself. I made sure of that.”

“It wasn’t your place…”

“No, it was yours, and you did nothing.” He met her glare head on. “I’m not going to apologise for doing what I could to keep her safe whilst you stayed in your cosy fantasy.”

“Well then, what was she doing at Pandemonium in the first place? You know it isn’t safe for her there.”

“I…” He ran a hand through his hair and grimaced. “We parked up there whilst Clary did the van so I could see Magnus, that’s all. I wasn’t expecting her to get in, or even want to. And now... The point is, they’re going to find you. Jace is curious, and he won’t let it go. He’ll want to find Clary.”

As soon as he’d said it, he started wishing for the ground to swallow him up. Jocelyn stood up from the sofa, all five foot seven of her somehow managing to loom over Alec like she always had. “Jace? You know them?”

“Yes, I…”

He was saved from having to explain any further by Dot clattering into the loft. She clutched at a stitch in her side and her other hand clung onto the door-frame. “Jocelyn, look out of the window. Magnus called to warn us.” She glanced at Alec for a second and then over at Clary. “They’ve found you.”

“Damnit. Maryse…” Jocelyn ran to the window and inhaled sharply. “What the…”

“Is Magnus okay?” He hurried over to join Jocelyn, and watched a group of smartly-dressed Shadowhunters stalking across the road. “That’s not them.”

“Magnus is fine. He’s the High Warlock of Brooklyn, Alec. He can take care of himself.” Jocelyn slammed her hand against the windowsill. “Dot, it’s time.”

“What?” Clary yelped. “Warlocks too?”

“Oh Clary.” Jocelyn dashed back across the room and started rummaging through a cabinet. “I hid something from a very dangerous man, and made him very angry. His followers won’t rest until they have it.”

“Shouldn’t we call the police?” Clary asked. “Alec could…”

“The policeman you need to call is Luke.” She gave Alec a long look and then shook her head, turning back to Clary and fastening a necklace around her throat. “Think of me when you wear this…”

Clary barked out a laugh. “Is now really the time for more birthday gifts, Mom? What is going on?”

Dot hurried in and held a potion out to Jocelyn. “Only if you need it.”

“Alec will explain everything.” She cupped Clary’s face and ran her thumbs over her cheeks. “Trust your instincts. You’re more powerful than you know.”

“You don’t even like Alec.”

“But you do. And that’s good enough for me.” She looked over at Alec and nodded at him. “Look after her.”

“You know I will.”

“I know. Whether I wanted you to or not. Dot, open it.” Jocelyn turned back to Clary. “Everything I’ve done, every mistake I’ve made, I did because I love you more than words.”

Alec grabbed Clary’s jacket and phone from the sofa and rested a hand on her shoulder. “We’ll be fine,” he promised. “Be careful.”

“It’s too late for that.”

There was a crash from downstairs and Alec slid his hand down Clary’s arm to grab her hand. “Come on,” he hissed. “We’re out of time.”

Dot pulled a portal into being in the kitchen doorway, pain etched on her face from the effort of it, and Alec looked over to her. “As soon as you can, get to Magnus. He’ll protect you both, and I’ll find you there.”

“That’s the plan.” She grimaced and there was another crash downstairs. “Go.”

“It’s going to be fine,” Alec promised Clary when she tried to tug her hand free. “But we have to get out of here.”

She gave him a shaky nod, and let him guide her through the portal to the police station. 

# # #

Clary stumbled as they stepped out of the portal, and she would have crumpled to the ground if Alec hadn’t caught her. She clung onto him, eyes tight shut for a moment, and he ran his hands up and down her arms until her breathing evened out again. “Portal travel,” he whispered. “it’s like that the first few times.”

“Alec… nothing is making any sense right now. What the hell is going on?”

“I promise, I will explain everything just as soon as we’re somewhere safe. Do you trust me?”

She hesitated, biting her lip. “I… Yeah, I think so.”

“Good.” He let her go and smiled as she leaned on the wall. “I’ve always had your back, haven’t I?”

“You sure have.” She rubbed at her arms and accepted her jacket from Alec with a smile. “See, always at my back. Now, do we need to find Luke?”

He nodded. “If he isn’t here, we’ll go back to my place.”

“You’d better not let Luke hear you say that,” Captain Vargas called out, and Alec cursed under his breath. “Or Magnus for that matter.” She strode over to them, smiling warmly. “Happy birthday, Clary, but what are you doing here? It’s two in the morning. Are… you okay?”

“Yeah, I… Uh…”

“Had a run in with some jock outside a nightclub,” Alec explained quickly. “We were hoping she could stay at Luke’s tonight, if he’s still here…”

Vargas pulled a face and rested her hand on Clary’s arm. “It happens to all of us. It’s a good job you’ve got Alec there to protect you.”

“Yeah, well, I think he was just pissed it wasn’t him getting hit on,” Clary laughed, nudging him harder than he deserved with her elbow. “But is Luke here?”

“He’s downstairs, interviewing a couple of witnesses.” She looked up at Alec. “He might be a while, though. Probably better if you do take her back to yours for now.”

“We’ll wait,” Clary said quickly. “Just… need that reassurance, you know?”

She nodded. “I know. And make sure you report it, okay? With your photographic memory we actually have half a chance of catching this guy.”

“I will.”

“Alright. Well, look after her, Alec. I don’t want to have to sic Luke on you right before your exams.” She released Clary at last after giving Alec one more firm look. “Have a good night.”

“You too, Captain.” Alec rubbed his arm where Clary had stabbed her elbow into it and glared at her as soon as they were alone again. “Remind me why I gave you self defence lessons again?”

“Because there’s a world full of werewolves, warlocks and demons out to get me that I had no idea existed until a few hours ago but that I need to be able to defend myself against?” She shook her head, hair clinging to her fingers with sweat as she ran them through it. “Will my mom and Dot be okay?”

He reached out to squeeze her shoulders. “They’ll be fine. We’ll get Luke, and then work out how to get back to them in the morning, okay?”

“Alright.” She took a shaky breath and straightened her shoulders. “Let’s go and find him.”

Alec heard the voices first as they hurried towarsd the top of the stairwell. He flung a hand out to stop Clary and pressed a finger to his lips, then crept forwards to the top of the stairs. They both crouched down behind the low wall, and Alec felt his stomach churn as he heard what Luke was saying. He could only imagine what Clary was feeling, so he reached out and took her hand, unsurprised when she gripped it tightly. When he looked at her, she was staring straight ahead, eyes wide and lips parted, and a gasp escaped her when she heard the man she looked up to like a father tell whoever he was with that she’d never meant anything to him. Alec let her nearly crush his hand and kept his attention on the conversation down below, knowing that she was in no state to take any of it in. He felt his stomach churn as they told Luke that the Circle had Jocelyn. The discussion was soon over, with Luke’s guests firmly banished from the office. Alec tugged on Clary’s hand to get her out of the stairwell and out of the way.

He hurried through the darkened, empty corridors, expecting someone to stop them on every corner, but they made it safely to the locker room where he kept his things and found it empty. Clary struggled against his grasp as he tugged her in, and she glared at him when he reached past her to lock the door. “What are you doing?”

“Keep your voice down,” he hissed. “I’m getting you to safety, like I promised your mom.”

“I thought Luke was safety…”

“So did I,” Alec admitted. “Look, it might not be what it sounded like…”

“He said he’s never cared about either of us! What magic wand do you have that will make that okay?”

He ran his hand through his hair again and shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe he was lying to them.” She scoffed at that and he turned around to his locker. “Whatever it is, we aren’t going to make good decisions tonight. You’re tired, I’m exhausted, and…” He shook his head. “We’ll go back to my apartment, I’ll answer ten questions, and then we’ll sleep on it. Okay?”

“Ten questions? I have ten thousand.”

“Me too. But ten for now.” He pulled out his NYPD hoodie and tossed it to her. “Put that on, and pull the hood up. Your hair is way too distinctive if they’re looking for you.” She did as he told her, for once, and he smiled as well as he could. “Trust me.”

“I do,” she murmured, arms wrapped around herself. “But should I?”

“Hey.” He cupped her face in both hands and smiled. “Who helped you to perfect your right hook and pick a lock?” That got him a chuckle, so he released her and reached for her hand and the door. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.”

# # #

It had started raining outside; the persistent, passive-aggressive type of rain unique to New York that, like everything else in the city, seemed to be trying to get as much done as quickly as possible. Everything seemed to have happened to them just as fast, but when Alec checked his phone - which still had no missed calls from Magnus - he saw that Captain Vargas had been right. The city was far from asleep, though, and a taxi sent a spray of water cascading towards them from the persistent puddle right outside the door just as they emerged. Alec moved on instinct, pulling Clary in against his side and taking the brunt of the drenching. He sighed as it soaked into his jeans, and kept his arm around Clary’s shoulders. “Act… cute,” he told her. “Like you like me.”

“Well, at least that will be easy,” she gritted out. “Is your place close?”

“Two blocks away. Keep your head down and don’t say anything.”

They trudged through the rain, dodging puddles and traffic, until they got to Alec’s block. He looked around the street before he let them in, and took the stairs two at a time up to his third floor apartment with Clary hurrying in his wake. Once they were through the door and had it locked behind them, Alec started stripping off his wet clothes and rummaging through drawers for dry ones. “My joggers will swamp you, but you can sleep in one of my T shirts,” he told her, tugging his over his head. “We’ll probably need to do a dash to a clothes shop in the morning.”

“Have I told you that Magnus is a very lucky guy?” Clary asked. “Or did he magic those abs onto you?”

He chuckled and threw a T shirt at her. “No shortcuts. These are all my own work. Are you going to get distracted if I take my jeans off in front of you?”

She turned her back on him and he did the same so she could change behind him. “Just so you know, that wasn’t question one out of ten. That was just friendly flirting to take my mind off, you know, my entire world being turned upside down.”

“I figured.” He pulled on a pair of joggers and ran his hands through his wet hair. “I’ll make us some tea and you think of your questions.”

She sank down on the sofa, and he kept half an eye on her whilst the kettle boiled, but most of his attention went to his phone. He tried to call Magnus again, getting no answer, and rattled off a quick text asking him to get in touch. He almost texted Dot, but ruled that out until he knew whether she’d managed to escape capture or not. Knowing her, probably not. The kettle whistled next to him and dragged him out of his thoughts, so he put his phone on charge and made up the teas whilst Clary stared down at her own phone. “Best if you don’t try to make contact with anyone tonight,” he advised her. “Not even Simon.”

“You can read my mind.”

“I can read your screen,” he corrected her.

She laughed and accepted the mug from him. “Okay. Okay, I’m doing okay. No panics yet…”

“You’re doing great.” He offered his mug in a salute. “Most people would have punched me and run away by now.”

“And they wouldn’t have really, really good tea.” She sighed and leaned back into the sofa. “Can I start my questions now?”

“If you want. I can’t promise to know the answers.”

She nodded and passed her phone to him, with a note open on the screen. “There you go. There’s my ten.”

Are you really a werewolf?  
Who were the people who came to our apartment?  
Who were the people I saw at Pandemonium?  
What do they all want?  
Are we safe?  
Are Mom and Dot safe?  
Are there other ‘species’ than werewolves, warlocks and humans?  
Were you really kicked out for being gay?  
Why did you stick around when Mom tried to get you to leave me alone?  
HOW CAN I HELP!?!?!?!

He smiled to himself and handed the phone back. “In order?”

“Yep. Start at the top.” She looked down at it and back up at him. “Werewolf, you, since when?”

“Yes, really.” He sighed and sank into the sofa. “I wasn’t always, but I was turned three years ago. And… I think I can answer a few others in the same one. There are a lot of races. Humans, mundanes as we call them, don’t really know… anything, to be honest. But all around them, there’s a whole other world. Werewolves, like me. Warlocks like Magnus and Dot, Vampires like Camille - you know Magnus’s ex, the one I complain about all the time? Her, she’s a vampire. And there’s Seelies, which is a catch all term for loads of different races, Demons and Angels. And then there’s Shadowhunters like you and your mom, and like I was.” He paused to see how she was taking it, and decided to roll with the way she was staring at him. “Yeah, you aren’t human. Next guy asks if you fell from heaven, you can tell him no, but you are part angel.”

“I’m… part angel? What, was it like Zeus coming down to earth to shag anyone pretty?”

“No, but it’s a really long story.” He rubbed at his eyes. “Do you want it?”

“I want my bit of it.” She shuffled closer and rested her hand on his arm. “Are you okay?”

He smiled at her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “I’ve had worse days. Well, no… longer ones. Not many worse.”

“No kidding. That went from the best birthday ever to the worst pretty quickly.” Clary sighed heavily and dropped her head onto his shoulder. “Alec, what’s happening?”

“I don’t know. The people you saw at the club were… my family. The boy is Jace, Izzy is the girl in the silver dress, and the girl in black is Aline, a friend of ours. They were tracking those demons, and wound up at Pandemonium, and you stumbled into the middle of a mission.” He frowned. “I don’t know who was at your apartment, though. Jace and Izzy aren’t like that, and they weren’t there.”

She looked up at him. "At the police station they told Luke that the Circle have my mom. Who are the Circle?"

"That's not possible. God, I hope it's not possible. The Circle wanted to kill all Downworlders, but that was years ago. They were defeated when I was a little kid." He rubbed at his hair with his free hand. "They were this group of Shadowhunters who thought that the only way to do their jobs was to wipe out everyone who wasn't a mundane or a Shadowhunter. Honestly, I think eventually it would have been just Shadowhunters. They killed a lot of people, Downworlders and Shadowhunters who stood in their way. But they were defeated, most of them were killed and the survivors arrested and charged." He looked down at her. "If they were telling the truth, everyone is in danger. The entire world."

She smiled weakly. "I wish Simon was here. He'd have some inspirational movie quote right now."

"Yeah," he agreed, "but then he'd make us watch it." He wrapped his arm around her shoulder again and sighed. "I'm sorry you've got dragged into this, Fray."

Clary mirrored his sigh and snuggled in closer. "I'm just glad you're here and I'm not alone in it. Is my mom going to be okay?"

"Your mom is terrifying. She'll be fine. Dot will find Magnus, and in the morning we'll all find each other and sort this out and we'll find her," he assured her, wishing he could reach wood to touch it. "Magnus is the most powerful warlock I've ever met. He put wards on this apartment, so no one will find us here. And if they try, he'll know about it. I can't wait for you to meet him."

"Me neither." She tried to smother a yawn and punched him gently. "I finally get to meet the guy who turns you into a heart-eye chibi."

He laughed. "I am not a chibi. But you're tired. I should… make the bed up. Or something."

When he stood up, Clary curled up into the space he'd left and watched him with half-closed eyes. "I shouldn't go to sleep," she murmured. "Mom is…"

"You're exhausted, and the adrenaline has gone," he whispered, crouching down next to her. "Will you be okay there?"

"Bring me a blanket, and I could sleep on the floor." Her eyes slipped closed again and she sighed. "Alec… thank you."

# # #

By the time he'd found the blankets and made his own bed up, Clary was already fast asleep where he'd left her. He felt a pang of guilt, but he'd fallen asleep on Magnus's much larger couch and felt the consequences too often to wake her up and offer to swap. Instead, he tucked the blanket around her carefully and brushed her hair off her face before padding back to the bed. He picked up his phone quickly, only to feel his enthusiasm fade when all he saw was a missed call and a text from Luke. All it said was "Circle are back. Get to Magnus."

Alec frowned and sat up straighter as he read over it twice, and his eyes flashed over to Clary, curled up on his couch, and then to the clock on the mantelpiece. It was still a reassuring black, so he turned back to his phone and hesitated over a reply. Eventually he settled on, "Message received. Safe for now. Are you?"

He ran his hand through his hair and checked the time before bringing up Magnus's contact and ringing him, one more time. It rang on and on and then, unmistakably, the call was rejected. Hurt stung in his chest as his hand fell slowly into his lap, and he stared down at the photo of the two of them, taken just a month before on the bank of the Thames at sunset. He pulled up their message chain and agonised over the right words. "Please let me know you're okay," he typed out slowly. "I'm scared."

The response came back moments later. Just a short, "I'm fine. Go to sleep", and he laughed at himself and with relief. He reached across with clumsy fingers to put both his and Clary's phones on charge, and made sure to turn them both off before he rolled over and went to sleep on top of the blankets.


	3. Chapter 2

 Alec set the mugs down carefully on the battered coffee table and crouched down next to Clary, brushing her hair out of her face again. "Clary," he murmured as she screwed her eyes tighter shut. "Come on, time to wake up."

She frowned and batted his hand away, and tugged the blanket tighter around her. "There had better be coffee," she growled. Despite that, she sat up and rubbed at her eyes. "Alec, please tell me this is a hangover and last night was some weird alcohol induced nightmare?"

"If you're asking, you know it's not." He sat on the table and handed her the larger of the two mugs. "You know I wish I could."

Clary sighed and wrapped the blankets around her shoulders, huddling down over her coffee. "What time is it?"

"Ten. I let you sleep in, because you'll need it, and it's safer if we move during daylight." He tapped his fingers on his own mug. "Won't protect us from the Circle, but if they use demons like they did last night, we're safe from them. Basically, you're safe until they figure out you're with me."

"I'll still feel safer with you. But what do you mean, until they work that out? Won't they know?"

"By now, probably." He ran his hands through his hair and looked up at her. "I've not managed to make contact with anyone. Or find much out. We're running out of options."

"Why does it sound like you're about to tell me something I won't want to hear?"

He chuckled. "Sorry, kiddo. You're right." His stomach was still churning too much for coffee, so he set it aside and stood up. "I need to take you to the Institute, to Jace and Izzy. I trust them more than anyone, and I can't protect you. You need to be able to defend yourself." He pulled open the top drawer of the chest and pulled out a thick notebook and a long, thin box. "I got these ready for you. Knew you'd probably need them one day, although I hoped you wouldn't. You need to understand, none of us wanted this. God knows, we all tried to talk your mom around. But she just has this way of getting her own way - a bit like someone else I know."

She glared at him and hugged her mug. "What was her plan?"

"She was going to tell you this week just gone, but then you got your interview dates." He settled down on the couch with her and held out the box. "Happy birthday. Baby's first sword." He nudged her with it again. "Go on. Open it. It's not as cool as a pair of Docs, but it's pretty cool."

She chuckled. "Yeah, you're definitely winning in the present stakes." Her fingers trailed over the carvings on the case and then she lifted the lid gently. "Oh… Oh wow." Soft light glowed from inside as she ran her fingers over the contents. "What is it?"

"The sword is called a Seraph Blade. It's made with Adamas, same as your Stele, and it's blessed with Angelic marks and Runes. It'll seriously hurt or kill a Downworlder, banish a demon back to its own realm, and make a mundane burst into flames. Which is overkill, but pretty cool." He shifted closer and pointed. "That's a Witchlight, a stone of raw Adamas that will light up when you touch it. It's supposed to remind you that light can be found in even the darkest places. And that's another Stele."

"They're beautiful." She picked up the Stele and pulled her own out to compare it. "Where did you get them?"

"They were mine." His breath hitched and he rubbed at his face. "I can't use them any more, but I had them with me when I turned. I was going to get rid of them, but then I met you and I thought you'd probably need them." Clary rested a hand on his arm and he smiled at her. "So I did you this," he said, handing her the notebook. "Everything I know, everything I thought you'd need to know. If anything happened to me, Magnus was going to make sure you got them, whatever your mom thought about it."

She slid her hand down his arm and laced their fingers together. "I'm glad you have someone looking out for you. I can't wait to meet him."

"Yeah, well, I'm more glad you have me watching out for you."

"Oh god, don't. I dread to think where I'd be without you. Apart from, you know, I wouldn't have been at Pandemonium to bump into Jace and see the demons." She tapped her chin. "I'm pretty sure we were only there because you were sucking face with your boyfriend."

He rolled his eyes and tapped her arm. "We need to get you protected. You know all those Runes on Jace? Well, you need them." He got to his feet and picked up the notebook, then went to rummage on the desk for a pen. "Runes are what give us our powers. They were given to us by the angel Raziel, and they're recorded in the Grey Book. But we don't have that, so you'll have to make do with my memory. I should warn you, though; applying Runes hurts. You burn them into your skin with the Stele."

"Do I have a choice, then? Can't I just skip them?"

"You'll get used to it. Honestly, they become a bit addictive. Like getting a tattoo." He sat down again and opened the back of the notebook. "You need these ones, for now. Just draw what I show you. This one will prevent anyone tracking you…"

Clary hissed with pain as she applied the first one, but as they went through the list - glamour, soundlessness and foresight, for now - she got more used to the sensation. By the time her left arm was liberally decorated with them, her hand was shaking but her eyes were bright, and she looked almost disappointed to have run out.

"It's not a good idea to do too many at once. I just don't want you getting caught if there's something I could do to protect you." He rubbed his thumb over the anti-tracking Rune and sighed. "I can't use them. That's why I need to get you to the Institute as soon as possible. Inside this apartment, no one can find me. Outside, they'll be on me as soon as they know to look for me."

She nodded and ran a finger over the Seraph blade. "So… how do we get there?"

"Easy." He got up again and went to collect the pink helmet from the side of the dresser, and held it out to her. "Want that ride you've been nagging me about?"

"You're actually going to let me go on your bike at last?" Clary took the helmet from him and turned it over to study it. "Did you get this for me just in case too?"

"No, it's Magnus's. He left it here last time we came back to mine." Alec smiled and nudged her. "His jacket will be a bit big for you, but it's better than nothing."

Clary laughed. "You're such a cop. Alright, officer. I'll come quietly."

He scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Fray, you've never done anything quietly in your life."

 

# # #

 

"Stay close to me," he instructed as they strode across the parking lot towards the church. "And if we get attacked, you need to just run as fast as you can for that church. Don't go for your sword. A weapon you don't know how to use is worse than no weapon at all."

"And the church will keep me safe?"

"The people in it will." He wrapped his arm around her shoulder again and looked around the park. "I can't see anyone, though."

Clary leaned into him, slipping her arm around his waist and pressing Magnus's helmet against it. "Is this going to be weird for you? Going back after so long, I mean."

"You have no idea." They stepped aside to avoid a cyclist and he gestured at the church. "I grew up here, with Izzy and then Jace. I know the streets around here better than my own apartment. I… They didn't kick me out for being gay. They didn't kick me out at all; I ran away before they could. So they'll probably be angry. I would be."

"No kidding." She looked up at him. "Why did you run?"

He sighed. "You can't be both. Downworlders aren't allowed in the Institute except by invitation. I didn't want Mom to have to tell me that." They entered the churchyard and Alec felt tension leaving his shoulders. "The last time I was here was the worst day of my life."

Clary turned him so she could look up at his face. "Alec, you've done so much for me already. If this is going to make things difficult for you, I don't want to…"

"We don't have a choice. We have to find your mom and stop the Circle."

The doors were wrenched open, and Alec felt the sick feeling return as Jace hurtled down the steps towards them, Seraph Blade in hand and very ready. He advanced on them, and his eyes blazed with venom. "Get back," he snarled at them. "Get away from her, demon." He looked over at Clary and, keeping his sword raised, held a hand out towards her. "You're not safe with him," he insisted. "But I can protect you."

She drew her sword and stepped closer to Alec. He couldn't look away from Jace, whose eyes widened when the sword lit up in her hand. Pain lanced through him again as Izzy clattered into the doorway to join them, with Aline close behind her, weapons in their hands too. Clary's free hand slipped into his, though, and she squeezed it gently. "I don't think I need protecting, thanks. Especially not by you."

Izzy rested her hand on Jace's shoulder and clung on when he tried to shrug her off. "Who are you?"

"I'm Clary Fray. My mother was a Shadowhunter, but she hid it from me all my life and now she's been kidnapped..."

"She didn't mean you," Jace snapped, raising his sword towards Alec again. "Did you really think we'd fall for it? Alec Lightwood has been dead for nearly three years."

"Lightwood?"

Alec flinched and nodded. "Yeah. Sorry, forgot to mention that." He cringed away from Jace's sword and looked to Izzy desperately. "Izzy, please, it's me. I promise. I'm sorry."

She shook her head. "Alec wouldn't do that," she hissed. "He wouldn't... You can't be him. What... why would you... Why would you do that to us?"

He closed his eyes tight, and let them change. When he opened them again, Izzy's hand flew to her mouth and she dropped her whip as she sobbed. Jace reeled back from him, and next to him he felt Clary turn to see what they were looking at. She yelped and dragged her hand out of his, and he closed his eyes again abruptly, turning away from them all. "I had to," he choked out. "I couldn't stay here."

Izzy moved first, and he opened his eyes - hazel again - to watch her creep closer. She rested her hand on his shoulder and slid it down his arm to rest on his wrist. "Alec... You need to prove it. Prove you're you."

"You're pretty good at pizza," he blurted, "but not at cooking anything else. And your porridge is a great reason to sleep through breakfast." He cringed even as he was saying it, but instead of slapping him she sobbed again and threw herself into his arms. As soon as she did he buried his face in her hair and clung on tightly, eyes sealed shut and still not holding back the tears. He could feel himself shaking more than Izzy was. He didn't realise he was murmuring apologies until she pulled back and tried to shush him. "I'm sorry," he insisted again. "I never wanted to leave."

"Izzy," Aline called out. "You need to make a decision." She stepped closer and looked him up and down. "We can't stay out here with the Circle around."

Alec's heart stopped for a long moment, until Izzy's hand slid back into his. "Aline is right. We've got to get you inside."

 

# # #

 

The Ops centre was just as busy as it had ever been, but now every eye was turned, surreptitiously or openly, to him. There were more computers, with screens everywhere and some holographic projections that might even  have made Simon shut up for a few seconds. It was like something out of one of his ridiculous science fiction movies. Aline hurried away from the group to talk to Raj and, with a few taps at the screen, turn off the alarms blaring above them. The tension dropped a notch without the constant noise. He felt Clary relax even though she moved closer, walking so that their elbows brushed at every pace. Jace kept one eye on her rather than look at Alec, but Izzy was doing her best to pretend everything was normal as they headed up to one of the more private corners, where big screens crowded around a glass topped table cut it off from all but the most determined eavesdroppers.

“Welcome to the New York Institute,” Izzy said, turning with her hands out to smile at Clary. “This is where everything happens.”

“Great. Very... Star Wars.” She looked up at Alec instead of at Izzy’s welcoming smile. “But what is ‘everything’?”

Jace folded his arms with a huff. “Shadowhunters have a sacred duty to protect humans from demons and those with demon blood. Downworlders, as we call them. Werewolves, vampires...”

“Seelies and warlocks,” Clary cut him off. “Yeah, I know. Alec gave me the introduction last night. But what do you do, exactly? Can you help me find my mom?”

He sighed, but Izzy pushed him back with the backs of her fingers against his chest. “We’ll do what we can,” she promised, “but you need to tell us everything you know. And I mean everything, Alec.”

Under Jace’s glare and Izzy’s sad scrutiny, Alec squirmed. Clary looked close to tears, but she nodded at him and managed a brave smile, putting the ball firmly back in his court. He leaned on the table, growling when it lit up at his touch. “Clary’s step-dad, Luke, is one of the New York wolf pack. He was the one who found me after I turned, brought me back to the city and helped me find my feet. Jocelyn, her mom, is a former Shadowhunter. She never wanted me near Clary, but...”

“But I’m stubborn,” Clary explained when he trailed off, “and I wasn’t going to leave him to fend for himself.We hit it off from the start.”

“Jocelyn wouldn’t do anything that would risk Clary finding out about our world. She didn’t want her exposed to it, she said. After what we saw last night...” He ran a hand through his hair to push it back out of his eyes. “I think Jocelyn was hiding from Valentine Morganstern.”

Izzy shook her head. “Valentine’s been dead for years, you know that.”

“But what if he hasn’t?” He tapped at the controls on the table and tried to navigate through the menus. “When we went to find Luke, he was talking to two Shadowhunters, probably members of the Circle. He said that he knew they were working for Valentine, and that...” Alec glanced at Clary. “That he only stayed close to Clary and Joss to find the Mortal Cup.”

“Alec...” Izzy looked around and leaned in closer. “If you’re right...”

“I know. I don’t want to be either.” He met Jace’s eyes again. “What were you doing at Pandemonium? Could it be related?”

Jace didn’t shift his posture, just glared at him with his arms folded across his chest. “I doubt it. There’s a bunch of demons been selling mundane blood. We tracked them to Pandemonium, but someone interrupted our operation...”

“Your operation?” He scoffed. “There was no way you were going to get answers out of them. You didn’t even ask Magnus about it, did you?”

“Magnus...” Izzy’s eyes narrowed. “First name terms with Magnus Bane, Alec?”

He flushed but refused to look down. “I worked at Pandemonium for a while. So I know you didn’t ask him.”

“I doubt Magnus Bane has the time to notice when someone is killing mundanes and selling their blood in his club. And we had to consider that they might be selling to him.” Jace reached out to the table and found Magnus’s file with a few deft flicks. “He’s got form.”

Izzy reached out and rested a hand on Jace’s arm. “But he isn’t stupid. If he was the one buying, he wouldn’t do the deal in his own club, and he wouldn’t leave the bodies to be found either. We’ll talk to him, see what he knows.”

 

“You think it’s a coincidence that you tracked the deal to Pandemonium, and then the Circle found Jocelyn right after? It was Magnus who warned Jocelyn that the Circle had found her.”

Jace smirked. “Shadowhunters aren’t welcome at Pandemonium. Especially not Circle members. I’m guessing that’s why you liked it there.”

Before Alec could bite back, Clary cut him off. “Enough!” She glared up at him. “This isn’t helping. Please... we need to find my mom and Dot. If the Circle are as bad as you say and they have them...”

“She’s right,” Jace said, to Alec’s surprise. “Aside from the fact that they may or may not have the Mortal Cup, we can’t leave them to the Circle. Alec, you need to find your friend Luke. Find out what you can from him.”

It was the clearest dismissal he’d even had, and that was counting his rare disciplinary meetings with the police. Despite his best efforts he knew he’d failed to hide the way it stung, but Jace had turned away already. He ran a hand through his hair again. “I have to go to work, anyway, so I’ll see what I can do.”

Clary hugged him before he could get away, resting her head on his chest. “Be careful,” she whispered. “I can’t lose you too.”

He met Izzy’s eyes over the top of Clary’s head. “I’m always careful. Stay with Izzy. She’ll look after you.”

Aline was back to escort him out, and he felt the wards slam closed behind him even before the doors did.

 

# # #

 

There was no sign of Luke at the Precinct, and Alec got sent straight out on patrol, as far from the Demonic Murder case as he could get without leaving the city. The rain from the previous night, which had cleared for a brief spell in the morning, settled back in, leaving him huddled in the car with his partner and his endless commentary on the world around them rather than out on the streets like he preferred. Locked away like that, the silence of his phone grew increasingly oppressive.

The rain had cleared again by the time his shift finally dragged to an end, and the city was bathed in the golden light of a warm summer's evening. Traffic rumbled past him as he waited to pull out of the precinct's parking lot, and on an impulse he turned right into the flow instead of left towards the Brooklyn Bridge and the Institute. The bike rumbled under him and the streets swept away as the traffic got lighter the further he went, the urge to just keep pressing on up towards the Hamptons (and never coming back) rising. By the time he hit Queens, though, common sense had prevailed, and he turned back towards Brooklyn and home. He made automatically for the Belt Parkway that skirted the coast, where the breeze from the Atlantic was blowing away the last of the day's damp feeling. He let the miles roll by until he was back home, nearly at the Brooklyn Bridge and faced with the same dilemma he'd been avoiding for the last hour. Before he could overthink it any further, he pulled the bike into the right hand lane and turned into the warehouse district where Magnus lived.  

He parked up outside and pulled his helmet off, running a hand through his hair as he turned to check that he was alone. The area was dilapidated and smelled of neglect, but bright with the colour of plants that had forced their way up through any crack they could find in the concrete. He stopped to measure the sunflower that was growing up the wall, and then let himself into Magnus's warehouse, picking his way between neglected carnival signs and the detritus of forgotten lives. The wards thrummed around him as he passed but relented to let him in, and he took the stairs up to the lair itself two at a time. He still paused by the door to knock, just in case.

It took a while for him to get an answer, long enough that he started to think that Magnus was out, but eventually the viewing port opened, revealing Magnus in his full cat-eyed, High Warlock of Brooklyn glory. Alec raised his eyebrow, and Magnus's expression shifted to an uncomfortable suspicious confusion. "I wasn't expecting you tonight," he said, in lieu of a greeting. 

"Yeah, I figured. Didn't want to let myself in and get fried by your wards." He shifted uncomfortably and rubbed at the back of his neck. "If it's a bad time, I can..." The door opened and he dropped his hand. "Come back later, or not. Whatever?"

 "Nonsense." Magnus rested a hand on his arm and leaned in for a kiss, glamour back in place and a soft smile on his face. "I'm sorry. We're just all on edge at the moment."

"Tell me about it." He watched Magnus walk away and shrugged his jacket off, then crouched to unlace his boots. "How was your day?"

He returned with a glass of wine and set it on the side next to Alec's helmet. "Where is Clary?"

 Alec frowned and straightened up to pull his boots off, one hand balancing on the wall. "She's at the Institute. Is Dot here?"

"You took her to the Institute?" Magnus snapped, his eyes flashing back to golden. He stepped away from Alec and made a very rude gesture. "Of all the places... You could have taken her anywhere, but of course you ran back to the Clave."

"Hey!" He took a breath to let his instinctive hurt subside and grabbed the glass from where Magnus had left it. "Maybe I would have brought her here, if you'd answered one of my calls in the last 24 hours. And unless you have a secret stash of Seraph Blades and a training facility I don't know about, I don't see what my alternative was."

Magnus strode into the living room and snatched his own glass off the table. "Oh, I'm sorry, was I ignoring darling Clary whilst I tried to protect everyone I care about from the prospect of being murdered for who we are... again?"

Tears stung at Alec's eyes and he stared into the glass. "Everyone?"

"Alexander..." Magnus turned and stepped back towards him. "Tell me I didn't..." He shook his head and reached out for Alec, who let him. "I'm so sorry. You were by my side when I saw them, and I forgot..."

"It's okay." He forced a smile. "I guess..."

"It's not okay. " Magnus reached up to cup his cheek. "I knew you were with Clary, that you'd been there at Pandemonium with me when I saw them, and Dot told me she saw you." He shook his head. "But I never called you, did I?"

He sighed. "No. Magnus, I've been worried sick."

"Me too." He let his hand drift down to Alec's neck. "I'm so sorry, darling."

Alec huffed. "Good job I came over." He reached up and took Magnus's hand. "Is everyone safe?"

"For now. I need to let Dot know that Clary is at the Institute." He tugged on their joined hands and led Alec towards the couch. "Have you eaten? Do you need anything?"

He held tight to Magnus's hand as he sank down into the cushions. "Just... stay here a while?"

"Of course." With a flick of his wrist he summoned the bottle of wine from the other side of the room and refilled Alec's glass. "You must have seen your family."

"They were at Pandemonium last night, solving the Demonic Murder case for us." He leaned his head back against the cushions. "We, uh... I took Clary there this morning. Izzy believed me. Jace didn't." His eyes fell closed against the sting. "He was so angry with me."

Magnus's thumb rubbed circles on the back of his hand. "I'm sorry."

"I should have listened to you and not stayed away as long." He sighed and rubbed at his eyes. "I shouldn't have run in the first place."

"Life is made of 'what ifs', Alexander. They're your family, though. And if they've missed you half as much as you missed them, you'll all make it work out." Once he'd drained his glass, he set it aside and pulled Alec over to lean against his shoulder. "And then you won't need me any more," he suggested airily.

Alec frowned. "I'll always want you, though."

"Alexander," Magnus chuckled, "that's the sweetest thing anyone's said to me in a long time."

"Well, it's true." He sat up again and reached for the bottle and their glasses. "And really..."

He was interrupted by the swish of a Portal opening and the need to lean over to plant his hand on a stack of papers to stop them going flying. Cat stepped out, pulling her hair loose with one hand and summoning the bottle into the other as she toed off her shoes. Alec sighed to himself and settled back into the couch whilst Magnus stood up to greet her. "Magnus, I got your fire message," she said, hugging him tightly. "Hi Alec."

"Hi Cat." He looked her up and down and smiled. "Have you eaten?"

"Not since breakfast."

Magnus held a hand up. "I'll summon us something up. What about..."

"Unless you've been experimenting again, we've got eggs in the fridge that need eating today." Alec hauled himself up and picked his glass up again. "I'll let you two do warlock stuff, and see what I can rustle up."

"Thank you." Cat squeezed his arm as he passed and laughed. "He's a keeper, Magnus."

"Especially in those jeans," Magnus agreed.

Alec rolled his eyes and left them to it. He'd long since accepted that in his situation, rejected by both the Clave and the wolf pack, the best he could offer to political discussions and strategy meetings was cups of coffee and, if Cat was there, food. He'd also learned that warlocks were not the sort of people who hid in the kitchen during parties, and he very much was. Magnus clearly hadn't found the eggs, and there was the remains of a pack of bacon in there as well, so he rifled through the cupboards and found a pack of dried spaghetti that just made him long for his mother's home made pasta but would have to do. The gentle hum of conversation from the living room grew louder whilst he worked as more warlocks joined Magnus and Cat, so he piled a plate high with carbonara for her and left his own on the counter to come back to.

The conversation dropped as soon as he entered, and he found himself the centre of attention for the first time he could remember. Cat accepted the plate from him and gestured to a seat. "Magnus was just saying that you've been to the Institute today. How did it go?"

"It, uh..." He looked around the table and sat down slowly. "They're on our side, I think. I didn't see everyone, but Jace Wayland's father was killed by the Circle, and he's keen on revenge."

“Well, that’s something,” a warlock he didn’t recognise murmured. His ice grey eyes flickered over Alec, half appreciative, half deeply susipcious. “I don’t know what, but it’s something.”

“Pavus...” Magnus shot the other man a warning look and got only a smug smirk in response. He rolled his eyes and settled down next to Alec, rather closer than Alec has expected. “Now, obviously we do not need to ally with the Clave, or even associate with them. But we also do not want to get in their way.”

“If the  Circle are back, Magnus...”

“Yes, I am well aware.” He rested a hand on Alec’s leg and sighed. “This will probably be a late one. I’ll fill you in as soon as I can.”

Dismissed again, Alec got to his feet and disappeared back to the kitchen.

 


End file.
